Their best show yet

Urmston Musical Theatre’s ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ at Urmston Leisure Centre, is their best show yet. It’s a musical whose characters seem real. None more so than David Gonet’s Tevye. The cash-strapped Jewish milkman, grappling with money problems and rebellious daughters, shares his worries with God. One by one, his children refuse to marry the man their parents have chosen. One daughter, falls for a gentile, a body blow to the tight-knit family and an act Tevye cannot forgive.

As well as having a terrific singing voice, especially in “If I were a rich man”, David’s a brilliant actor and gets the light and shade of humour and pathos, just right. Anita Partridge as his long-suffering wife also portrays the power of love wonderfully expressed in the duet, “Do you love, me? Other favourite songs such as “Sunrise, Sunset”, and “Tradition” are performed by a large and lusty chorus. The three eldest daughters, played by Deborah Holmes, Kayliegh Smith and Hannah Stockton, act and sing well.

The Ukrainian Dance Group, Orlyk perform two dances with energetic bending of hips and kicking of legs! However do they keep those bottles on their heads?

The wedding and eviction scenes are noteworthy as is the well choreographed and synchronised dream sequence. All credit to the lighting and sound crew for the spectacular snow storm and fire near the end. The fiddler, 14-year-old Sophie Brown aided by Timothy Williams from the orchestra, illustrates the show’s sad side.

Until Saturday

Report for SUM by Julia Taylor

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